Joint-coupling



(No Model.)

0. E. WIN GER.

JOINT COUPLING.

W w W Usirren STATES PATENT @rrrcn.

OSWALD E. \VINGER, OF FREEPORT, ILLINOIS.

JOINT-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 265,550, dated October3, 1882,

Application filed August 24, 1882. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, OsWALD E. WVINGER, acitizen of I heUnited States, residing in the city of Freeport, in thecounty of Stephenson and State of Illinois, have invented a new anduseful Universal Joint-Coupling, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to universal joint-couplings ofthat class known assafety-couplings, and the object of my invention is to produce at asmall cost a safety universal joint-coupling made detachable andself-locking, capable of use for, perhaps, all the purposes for whichsuch couplings are employed, and its construction and application willbe hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of my improved universalcoupling complete. Fig. 2 is an isometrical representation of theslotted sphere having a. quarter portion cut therefrom. Figs. 3 and 4are isometrical representations of the coupling-heads, partly insection, and placed in position to enter the sphere. Fig. 5 is a polarend view of the slotted sphere, and Fig. 6 is a central section of thesphere on dotted line X.

In the figures, A and B represent that portion of the apparatus known ascouplingheads, and are those portions which are fitted to receive theend portions of the shafts to be coupled. These coupling-heads consistof the wrist portion (3, produced in cylindrical form, provided with anaxial opening, a, which in this instance is rectangularin section,fitted to receive the rectangular portion 7) of the shaft D. Thatportion of these heads represented at c and d, which project from theend portion of the heads and are employed in the joint-connection, areofplate form, havingparallel sides, and in face outline are of annulardisk form, having a portion of their annular rims c and d in sectorform, as at 0, cut from their outer ends. This cut-away portion in thisinstance is about one-fourth of theannularrim,but may be more or less.This annular disk portion 0 of the shaft-head A is provided with a slot,h,

extending from the central opening thereof a the annular rim, or such asto receive the annular rim (1 of the shaft-head B to permit it to passthrough the slot freely.

At E is represented a sphere-havingadiamcter equal to the diameter ofthe annular diskrings 0 and (l of the shaft-heads. This sphere isprovided with grooves it, produced on meridian lineson each quarterofthe sphere, crossing each other at right angles at lon the polesthereof. The width of these grooves is such as to receive the annulardisk-rings c and din a manner known in mechanics as a loose fit. Thedepth of these grooves is slightly greater than the width of the annulardisk-rings c and d, leaving a cylindrical center, min the sphereslightly less in diameter than the inner diame ter of the annulardisk-rings c and (I. These central cylindrical portions, n, in eachgroove are reduced on their polar sides, as represented atp, to a widthslightly less than the inner portion of the sector-opening e in theannular disk-rings.

With these several portions of my improved universaljoint-couplingsconstructed as shown and described, the parts are then placed togetherby passing the disk portion of the head A into the meridian groove ofthe sphere on its equatorial plane in such amanner that its open endwill pass the flattened polar side of the center portion, a, until it isreceived within the.

center opening of the annular disk, when'thc head is turned into theposition shown in fti'e dotted lines, in which position the axial centerwill coincide with the polar axis of the sphere, and the slot h thereinwill coincide with the other meridian groove. The annular disk ofthehead Bis then passed into this other meridian groove on its equatorialplane through the slot h of the head A, and past the flattened polarsides of the center it until it is received within the center opening ofthe disk, as in the dotted lines. This head is then turned in the sphereto the side thereof opposite the head A until its axial center willcoincide with the polar axis of the sphere, when the several parts willhejoined, and in the position represented in Fig. 1-a complete universaljoint capable of use for all the purposes requiring such joints.

In the foregoin g1 have shown and described a sphere provided withmeridian grooves having parallel sides to receive the annular diskshaving parallel sides; but it is evident that the side walls ot'thesegrooves may beproduced. on radial lines, and that the side surfaces ofthe annular disk-rings may be produced in the same manner, having linescrossing each other in the center of the disk and fitted to enter thegrooves of the sphere and still be within the scope of my invention.

I do not desire to limit myself to the exact construction andproportiomnents of the several parts of my improved coupling, as thesemay be varied without departing from the gist ofmyinvention.Asinstances,thepolarreductions of the central portion of the sphere mayhe more or less, and the sectorformed opening in the end portion of theannular disk-rings may be larger or smaller to snugly pass over theflattened polar sides of the central portion of the sphere; and whenthejoint is designed for use in situations where the parts can be heldtogether by other means than the hooking action of the annular disk-armsoverlapping the central portion of the sphere, the polar flattening ofthe center of the sphere may be omitted, and the end opening of theannular disk-lings may be produced on parallel lines separated asufiicient distance to receive the cylindrical center of the sphere, orthey may be cut at right angles to the axial line of the heads throughthe center of their central opening.

I claim as my invention A universal joint employing a spherical centerprovided with. meridian grooves crossing on its polar centers,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with a spherical center provided with meridiangrooves crossing on its polar centers of the sphere, of coupling'headsprovided with annular disk-rings to engage the meridian grooves of thesphere, substantially as and for'the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with a spherical center provided with meridiangrooves crossing on its polar centers, and having a cylindrical centerwith flattened polarsurfaces,ofcoupling-heads provided with annulardisk-rings adapted to enter the grooves in the sphere, and havingOpenings to pass the flattened polar surfaces of the cylindrical centersof the grooves, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. Coupling-heads provided with annular disk-rin gs to enter themeridian grooves of the sphere, said annular disk-rings, one or both,provided with an axial slot, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

OS\VA LD E. WINGER.

WVitnesses:

JACOB BEHEL, A. O. BEHEL.

